The principal attraction for visitors to Ban Chiang is its archaeological site. It was discovered by accident in 1966 by an American sociologist who tripped over some remains. The finds provided archaeological evidence that northeast Thailand may have been one of the world’s earliest centers of bronze production. Spearheads from the site are thought to date from around 3600 BC, while ceramics, dating from between 3000 BC and AD 500, testify to a high degree of technical and artistic skill.

Today, a collection of these artifacts is on display, together with ornaments such as bangles and rings, at the Ban Chiang National Museum .

A short walk from the museum, 2 km (1 mile) through dusty streets lined with quaint wooden shop-houses, two covered excavation sites lie in the grounds of Wat Pho Si Nai . Here the main exhibits are graves containing skeletal remains and ceramics used for symbolic purposes in burial. Bodies were wrapped in perishable material and laid on their backs. Pots were then arranged along the edge of the grave and over the bodies themselves. Other grave goods found at the burial site include pig skulls and mandibles, jewelry, tools, weapons, and river pebbles.

Research associated with the discoveries at Wat Pho Si Nai indicates that the inhabitants of Ban Chiang were a strong, long-legged people with wide foreheads and prominent cheekbones with an average life expectancy of 31 years. The main causes of death were diseases such as malaria. As with other early peoples of Southeast Asia, the exact ethnic origins of the population of Ban Chiang remain a mystery.